With the Dental Council of India (DCI) going the Medical Council of India (MCI) way in terms of corruption, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare was approached by hundreds of Dentists on March 15th 2017 urging it to intervene in issues bedeviling Dental education in the nation.

A case has been registered against Dental Council of India President ‘Dibyendu Mazumdar’ and three others by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on charges of alleged cheating and corruption for favoring a Dental college in increasing seats.

Those listed in the FIR include DCI President ‘Dr. Mazumdar’, Vananchal Dental College and Hospital (Garhwa, Jharkhand) chairman ‘Dinesh Prasad Singh’, ‘Firoz Ahmad’, Former Vice-Chancellor of Nilamber Pitamber University (Palamu), ‘S.K. Ojha’, Former DCI officiating secretary and other unknown persons.

Dr. Mazumadar is alleged on the charges that his term as the DCI President was to cease on May 31st 2015 once his membership with the Council expired. However, in order to retain his post for the second term as the DCI President, he acquired membership from the Nilamber Pitamber University in an illicit manner by claiming to be a visiting honorary Professor at the Vananchal Dental College and Hospital.

The CBI alleged that in order to acquire the membership, Dr. Mazumdar extended favors to the Dental college by giving consent for doubling the number of BDS seats from 50 to 100 being well aware that the college did not satisfy the required norms and did not have the infrastructure as per the DCI guidelines.

The President also recommended addition of 16 MDS seats to the college despite some discrepancies found over the course of inspections in 2012-13.

CBI alleged Dr. Mazumdar for using fraudulent means for gaining the second term as the DCI President.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Dentists approach the Health & Family Welfare Ministry appealing that there is an urgent need for intervention by the Ministry since the Dental Healthcare and Education is witnessing a heavy downturn from the past several years.

One of the Dentists stated that corruption is persisting in Dental education in the country with the Inspectors manipulating reports over the course of Inspection and imposing capitation fees on the students although being banned.

Hundreds of Dentists gathered at the Jantar Mantar, New Delhi from across the nation with a view to protest against corruption in DCI alleging that the government is not scrutinizing the election and nomination of members to the Council as mandated.

The herd of Dentists appealed the Union Health Ministry to expedite all corruption cases and to remove illegal members of the Council.

‘Arun Singhal’, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry stated that the Ministry is investigating into the DCI President matter and looking into other issues as well.